BOROUGH COUNCIL

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 52, Issue 3767, 10 June 1936, Page 5

BOROUGH COUNCIL

FORTNIGHTLY MEETING.

GENERAL BUSINESS DEALT WITH.

The usual fortnightly meeting of the Te Awamutu Borough Council, on Monday evening, was presided over by his Worship the Mayor, Mr Geo. Spinley, and also present were Crs J. C. Monteflore, A. Brown, A. D. Wallace, G. Gifford, W. J. North, H. C. Rainey and G. 0. Jourdain.

The clerk, Mr D. Bockett, and works foreman, Mr R. H. Close, were in attendance.

The Mayor, reporting on rubbish removal from the business area, said he thought, as the present year’s rates have been struck, it would be necessary, if a regular service was to be instituted, to make a levy on users of the service, or of property owners in a defined area.

Discussion ensued on the proposal, and the Mayor stated that in recent months residents seemed to have become careless, for on some mornings the streets were littered with rubbish, and this made the place very unsightly. He added that the same amount of street sweeping as formerly had been maintained. Probably some drastic action would have to be taken to put a stop to the practice of dumping rubbish in the streets, and he purposed interviewing the borough solicitor on the subject. The Works Committee recommended the Council to approve of the action of Cr Monteflore and Mr Close in procuring timber from Arohena mill for the saleyards improvement. The Mayor commended Cr Montefiore and Mr Close upon securing the needed timber at such a favourable price. Some of the timber has already arrived, and it appeared to be quite up to specification. Cr Monteflore quoted figures to show that a saving of about £25 had been made by purchasing at the mill. Cr Brown said the tanekaha timber was well seasoned, and should well serve its purpose.

The purchase of the timber was approved. The manager, Newton King, Ltd. (motor department) wrote thanking the Council for its information re petrol pumps.—Received. The proposed sub-division of Mrs H. Y. Collins’ property facing College Street and Frontier Road had been considered by the Works Committee and referred back to the Council for review.

The Mayor said he had explained the position to Mrs Collins’ representative, who would doubtless submit amended plans to a later meeting of the Council. The Works Committee also recommended that the lease of land at Pirongla to Mr H. Hulton be finalised immediately.—Referred to borough solicitor.

Cr Monteflore’s notice of motion (given at last meeting) to amend au earlier decision prohibiting erection of any more kerbside pumps in Arawata Street, was put and carried without discussion. The purchase of a light motor truck for the borough turncock’s use was briefly discussed, and reports were received of offers of secondhand vehicles.—Referred to works foreman for a recommendation.

Mr Owen O’Brien wrote offering £5 per annum for lease of a section in Brady Street vacated by Mr J. H. lawton.

The Mayor said he was informed that offers by public auction have to be invited. The upset price was £lO, and perhaps that was too high. It was decided to put the lease of the section up to auction at an upset price of £5 per annum. The resident engineer, P.W.D., at Hamilton, wrote re the easing of Robottom’s corner on the Te Awamutu to Barton’s corner, main highway, asking for a detailed estimate of the cost of constructing the easement, including re-sealing of the new alignment.—Referred to the town clerk. Mr J. W. Campbell, licensmed survey or, rendered an account for £7 7 s for preliminary surveys and various plans of the proposed Sloane Street widening, and for engineering plans of proposed road corner grading near Bridgman Street. —Passed for payment The chief inspector of explosives, Mr R. Girling-Butcher, forwarded a circular re the Government’s proposed legislation for the licensing of wholesale and retail sellers of motor spirits, with the general intention of limiting the number of selling outlets. —Received. The secretary. Public Library Committee, asked the Council to increase the annual subsidy by £5O per year, for the purchase of new books. The Mayor, who presided at the Library Committee meeting, explained that the rental from the ground site of Burchell’s Buildings is held by the Council for library purposes. It had been claimed that all that revenue should be expended on new books, but he claimed that some of it should be set aside to meet any possible claim for compensation when the lease expires. He thought the public library should, as far as possible. be self-supporting. The acting town clerk, Napier, recommended favourably steps to be taken to form a local body employees' union right through New Zealand.— Received, the Mayor commenting that only one employee is affected. Cr Monteflore asked the Council to consider acquiring more land for the sand pit, or better control over the present pit. The pit was left in a bad condition. It was pointed out that the Council last year decided to charge 10s per yard, delivered by the Council’s lorry. Cr Monteflore said some private carters had been allowed to enter the pit, and they were getting too close to the boundary A sub-division plan was submitted on behalf of Mrs W. H. Mandeno, whose College Street property is being cut up into quarter acre sections. —Approved.